Dogs dig as it’s in their nature, and with some breeds it’s more innately embedded.

Some dogs do love to dig up the ground, and for them this is a very natural thing. Even though to us this is a real pain, as no ones wants holes all over their nice green lawn.

Dogs will dig for a number of reasons:

1/ Bury items they want to save for later like a nice bone you gave them or a toy.

2/ Search for an item they previously hid in the garden.

3/ Dig for prey like rodents or other tasty treats such as insects. Some even dig to get at roots, as dogs do love to chew on a root.

4/ Some dogs will dig at the boundary of your house in an attempt to escape or because they are anxious.

5/ They will also dig to alleviate levels of boredom.

What can we do to stop this behaviour that we don’t like?

1/ Make a specific place in your garden where your dog is allowed to do their digging. You could create a sandbox to which you bury treats in it and entice your dog to dig there and praise him for that behaviour but you must be vigilant to stop him from digging anywhere else.

2/  Exercise is always the best way to drain any dog’s pent-up energy. Running with your dog, swimming with your dog, hiking with your dog – there are just a few of the options. Sending your dog to a doggy day care centre is great if you don’t have the time to exercise your dog, as he will have other dogs to play with and alleviate any boredom problems.

3/ Another way is to fill in the holes your dog creates with a brick and then top up with about 1-2 inches of top soil. When you dog goes to dig in the same area again, he won’t be able to dig far and will bore quickly. He will eventually associate that digging isn’t that much fun any more.